Planoqraph co



G. T. BUCKHAM.

PEDESTAL GUN MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20,1917.

1,313,464. PatentedAug. 19,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH co., wAsHlNd'roN. n. c,

G. T, BUCKHAM.

PEDESTAL GUN MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20.1917.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 1/677 far-- :7 if L f. m M.

rm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH :0 WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, or wEsT msTER," LONDON, ENGLAND, assreivoa To VICKERS LIMITED, or WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

PEDESTAL GUN -1V[OUNTI1\T G.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GE RGE THOMAS-BUCK- HAM, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Pedestal Gun- Mountings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pedestal gun mountings of the naval type in which the trunnion blocks are held in position in the carriage by transversely sliding locking blocks which when moved to their unlocking position permit the gun and its cradle to be moved inboard for housing.

According to this invention each of the transversely sliding locking blocks, when in the locking position, passes through the tl'UIllllOlLblOCk and engages with holes in the inner and outer walls of the cavity which is formed in the carriage side cheek for the reception of the trunnion block so that by merely sliding the locking block outward until it becomes disengaged from the inner wall of the side cheek and from the trunnion block, the latter becomes unlocked from the side cheek to enable the aforesaid inboard movement of the gun and cradle to take place. A displaceable device may be provided for retaining the said locking block in its inward or looking position, this device comprising a spring controlled catch carried by the side cheek and provided with a nosepiece that engages with a slot or recess in the outer end of the locking block when the latter is in its fully locking position.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a gun mounting provided with my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing one of the gun carriage sidecheeks and a trunnion block provided with a constructional form of the invention and Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on the line 11 of Fig. 2.

A is one of the gun carriage side cheeks, A the cradle, A one of the gun cradle trunnions, B the trunnion block and C the locking member or block. The gun cradle trun- Specification of Letters Patent. i Patented Aug, 19,1919,

Application filed July 20, 1917. Serial No. 181,927.

nion A fits in a hole in the trunnion block B and projects through a longitudinal slot or gap A in the inner Wall of the carriage side cheek, this longitudinal slot or gap permitting the cradle to be moved rearward for housing the gun as is well understood. D is the spring controlled catch for retaining the locking block in its inward or looking position. (Z is the nose-piece of this catch and c is the slot or recess in the outer end of the locking block, with which slot or recess the said nose-piece is adapted to engage.

In-the example shown the locking block C is of circular cross-section and is provided at its outer end with a flange C in the upper portion of which is formed the aforesaid slot or recess 0. The spring controlled catch D is carried by a bracket D attached to the upper outer surface-of the side cheek and is actuated by a handle D which, when the locking block is not in its locking position, lies transversely across the sight carrier as shown by chain lines in Fig. 2 so that the sight E must be removed from the carrier before the catch D can be disengaged from the locking block C; the sight cannot be replaced until the nose piece at of this catch becomes rengaged with the slot or recess 6, 2'. 0. until the locking block resumes its fully locking position. This arrangement as is well understood prevents the gun from being si hted when the trunnion block is in any but its fully locked position. During the time that the trunnion block is unlocked, the handle D remains in its position across the sight carrier as aforesaid owing to the fact that the nose-piece (Z of the spring catch D bears against the upper surface of the looking block.

The handle D is provided with trunnions d disposed in recesses d in the bracket D so that the handle can readily be placed in position and removed. In order to prevent the handle from being removed when the locking block is in its unlocked position, the said handle carries pins (Z which until the handle assumes its locked position shown by full lines in Fig. 2 engage with slots d in the bracket D.

For the purpose of preventing the looking block from being completely withdrawn from the side cheeks during its outward or unlocking movement, the locking block is, in the example shown, provided with a pin (Z disposed in coinciding keyways a, b in the side cheek and trunnion block, the outer end of the keyway a being obstructed by the lower end of the bracket D". I

The locking block is moved to and from its locking position by a handle D which is detachably connected by screw threads or otherwise to the outer portion of the said block. The hole in which the said handle is adapted to engage may be closed by a plug D when the handle is removed.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a gun mounting, the combination with the carriage side check, of a trunnion block and a transversely sliding locking member which when in the locking position, passes through the trunnion block and engages with holes in the inner and outer walls of the cavity which is formed in the carriage side cheek for the reception of the trunnion block.

2. In a gun mounting, the combination with the carriage side cheek, of a trunnion block and a transversely sliding locking member which is retained in its locking position by a spring controlled catch carried by the side cheek and provided with a nose piece adapted to engage with a slot or recess in the outer end of the locking block.

3. In a gun mounting, the combination with the carriage side check, of a trunnion block and a transversely sliding locking member which is retained in its locking posi tion by a spring controlled catch capable of actuation by a handle which is so constructed and arranged that it prevents the gun from being sighted when the locking block is in its unlocking position and cannot be disconnected from the said catch until the locking block reaches its locking position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM.

Witnesses:

JNo. L. CAswELL,

GLADYS M. BARDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. c." 

